Amazon search results in Ubuntu 12.10

Ubuntu integrated Amazon search results in Desktop via dash. From 12.10 onward Amazon search results is available by default. Users can search products in Ubuntu dash and click on the product and it will land in Amazon website.

I heave searched “iphone” in Ubuntu 12.10 dash and got below results

Amazon Search in Ubuntu

It makes perfect sense to integrate Amazon search results in the Dash, because Dash will find anything anywhere. Technically Dash search is one of the best feature Ubuntu has developed.

I have consolidated few bullet points about Amazon search results in Ubuntu Dash

1. If you put a string in Dash, first it searches locally and then globally ( Amazon )

2. Ubuntu did not search or display any ads or banners

3. No spyware attached

4. From 12.10 Desktop onward Dash global search is on by default

5. User can easily remove the Dash global search. (See steps below )

6. Ubuntu will protect your data and will not disclose to anyone

7. In Ubuntu 12.10 user can search only Amazon and in future Ubuntu might include Ebay too

How to remove Amazon Search from Dash

Click “System Settings”

Click “Privacy”

System Settings – Privacy

There is “ON/OFF” button to handle the online search on or off

set on or off online search Ubuntu

Ubuntu online search in Dash has been turned off.

Controversary

It is little controversial to include Amazon search result in Ubuntu and note that these are not Ads but just search results. Some of the free software activists like Richard Stallman publicly criticized Ubuntu integration of Amazon search results. From 12.10 onward Ubuntu made it default but added a feature to remove graphically.

Personally I like this feature and I used to disable it whenever I don’t need it and enable when I need it.